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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Being pregnant has made me ponder the creation of life. It's a little mind-boggling to think that another human being is growing inside my body, that somehow my body and the baby's body know how to do this. I wonder which spirit from heaven I will give birth to and raise. My endless thinking about this baby has helped me discover much symbolism in the creation of life:

Pregnancy involves the "magic numbers" of the gospel: 40 weeks (40 days/nights of the flood, 40 days of Jesus fasting in the desert, 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness), 3 trimesters (Christ's resurrection on the third day, 3 members of the Godhead and thus 3 members in all auxiliary presidencies, Moroni's 3 visits to Joseph Smith in one night, Peter's 3 denials of Christ, etc.).

As shared in a seminary video, new life requires blood, water, and a spirit. Also, new spiritual life requires blood (the Atonement), water (baptism), and a spirit (the Holy Ghost).

Furthermore, the creation of life relies on the body, assistance, protection, and nurture of the mother, who must suffer pain in the process, just as spiritual rebirth relies on the body, assistance, protection, and nurture of Christ, who suffered the ultimate pain through the Atonement. This partnership forms a strong bond of love in both people.

Pregnancy awakens and develops Christlike qualities--unconditional love, nurture, patience, joy, peace--in both women and men, because we are experiencing the godly power of creation. Parenting continues to develop these and other attributes.